掯 (kèn) - To detain & to hold back

掯Tone 4

kèn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

掯 · kèn

To detain;

to hold back;

to press hard;

to extort;

to be stingy.

To detainto hold backto press hard

Usage highlights

Detain a personExtort moneyWithhold paymentPress hard for somethingBe stingyForcefully detain

Synonyms

  • 扣— to detain, to withhold
  • 留— to detain, to keep
  • 勒索— to extort, to blackmail

Antonyms

  • 放— to release, to let go
  • 给— to give
  • 慷慨— generous, liberal

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He detained the person (掯住人).
  • They are extorting money (掯钱).
  • She is being stingy with the payment (掯住不给).
  • The official pressed hard for a bribe (官员掯索).

Collocations

  • Detain a person(掯人)
  • Extort money(掯钱)
  • Withhold payment(掯住不给)
  • Press hard for something(掯索)
  • Be stingy(掯吝)
  • Forcefully detain(掯留)

Idioms

  • No specific idioms found with this character

Cultural background

FAQ
  • This character carries negative connotations of obstruction and extortion.
  • Often used in legal or official contexts to describe corrupt practices.
  • Rarely used in modern standard Chinese, more common in classical or dialect usage.

FAQ